This is also an opportunity to highlight the recent founding of the Xu-Ricci Dialogue Institute at Shanghai's Fudan University. The centre is named after the Shanghai-born scholar and statesman Xu Guangqi (1562-1633) and the Jesuit sinologist Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), whose friendship pioneered the dialogue pursued between China and the West in modern times.

And in January, the Taipei Ricci Institute signed an agreement with Taiwan National Library creating a "Matteo Ricci - Pacific Studies Reading Room" within the premises of the library. At the same time (with the support of the library, the Council for Aboriginal Affairs and individual scholars) the TRI is working towards the creation of a "Taiwan Society for Pacific Studies" that will become its main research outlet and focus.